Lamar Odom: UNDERRATED or UNDERACHIEVER? The X-FACTOR of the Late-2000 LA Lakers Championships | FPP

In more recent years, Lamar Odom’s life was magnified for all the wrong reasons; culminating in a very public and almost fatal battle with addiction, made even more public by being involved with a Kardashian. But before all of this, Lamar Odom was one of the most unique players of the 21st century, who spent years with Kobe Bryant and eventually Pau Gasol as the Los Angeles Lakers won back to back championships in 2009 & 2010. Odom was a 6’10” do it all forward coming out of high school, who could play all 5 positions and looked NBA ready as a teenager. He would have a complicated route through college, struggling with academics and losing a scholarship with UNLV because of it; but he would eventually spend a season with Rhode Island where he would be one of the best players in the NCAA. Although he was unsure if he was ready, he would get drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers and start his career strong, eventually being joined by young talent like Darius Miles, Quentin Richardson, Corey Maggette and Elton Brand. But after a strong start, he declined and struggled with substance abuse suspensions. He was signed by the Miami Heat and had a redemption year alongside Dwyane Wade and Eddie Jones, but after one season, he would be sent to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Shaquille O’Neal trade. In LA, he would team up with Kobe Bryant then Pau Gasol and Ron Artest, helping the team recover from some disappointing years in the mid 2000s, to reaching the NBA Finals each year from 2008 to 2010, and winning two titles. He would also win the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2011. A disappointing trade would see him spend a tumultuous year in Dallas before finishing his career with the LA Clippers. As was said before, his career has been overshadowed by what happened afterwards. But that should not take away from the fact that Lamar Odom was one of the most unique talents ever as a nearly 7 footer who could rebound and play down low, but also break you down off the dribble, finish at the rim and run the point with his exceptional passing ability. He had the tools to be an all time great, so his career can be looked at as underwhelming, but at his peak, he was one of the best point forwards of all time.

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